He Who Waits for She Who Dreams

[SirArtemis]

Oddly enough, it's not very hard to find someone you lost when they look different from everyone else. Go figure. So when I saw a small girl with long white hair, wings, and horns, I didn't have to worry about tapping her on the shoulder and being confronted by a stranger.

"Hey, why'd you walk off?" I asked Sophia.

She just looked at me funny, as though I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. In retrospect, it was pretty stupid to ask. Jackal would be proud. With a raised eyebrow, she pointed to the mural that she had been looking at. From what I could tell, it was just a giant explosion. Literally. Of the city that we were in. At least that's what it looked like. Granted... that... is an odd thought... to think that I was walking around in an explosion. "I don't get it," I said, raising the bar on stupid comments for the day. Soon I'd run out.

"Well, from what the priest told me, this has happened already to the city about twenty years ago."

"Wow, that's recent. They rebuilt FAST."

"We're not in that part of the city..." she said with a laugh.

"Of course not," I said joining in the laughter. "I was just kidding. So why are you looking at it?"

"It just seems like an odd mural, and out of place with the other murals."

'Artemis, find out what caused the explosion,' Judicis whispered into my thoughts. I could feel that he was both amused and embarrassed by my comments. It’s become normal for me to hear a voice in my head, and I suppose that’s what happens when you carry a sentient weapon for so long; that holds especially true when you develop some… indescribable link to your weapon that goes beyond anything I had ever even dreamed up or imagined. But yes, I could hear my bow’s thoughts, and could feel its feelings, whether it was in its offensive form or its current passive form: a white bracer upon my left wrist.

'Right,' I thought in reply. When I looked around, I noticed she was right. Everything surrounding us seemed to be related to ancient events - nothing as recent as this one. In fact, now that she had pointed it out, I could tell that the tiles that made up the mosaic murals were very fresh compared to the rest. "Hmm...do you know what caused the explosion?"

"Apparently, there was a civil war, and the Old Pretalia Castle was destroyed."

"But what caused the explosion?"

She shrugged at that. "They didn't tell me very much about what happened - like why it blew up. They just said it exploded."

"That seems ominous..." I mumbled.

"I'm just hoping it doesn't happen while we're around... I don't think I can live through that."

Part of me wanted to laugh. She seemed genuinely concerned by her inability to survive that size of an explosion. I thought about consoling her, telling her no one would likely survive, but I thought to let it go. Instead, I just put my hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"So why'd you come here? I mean... this place... not... here... here..."

"To this island?"

"Yes."

"Well, I pissed off a guy with a gun back in Radasanth. And I'm pretty sure he has some connection with the local militia. So even though I felt like I did the right thing, I also felt like I needed to leave and fast. Either that, or I might have ended up in jail or dead."

"Are you a criminal?"

"No, I just tried to be a good guy and help out in hunting down one of the main contributors to the Corone War. Problem was... the guy I chose to help was in it for personal reasons and was planning to hurt a woman who wasn't involved. So when I saved her, knocking him out in the process so that we could escape, I made an enemy in an emotional gunslinger. Needless to say, I was looking for a way out of Radasanth for a few days before this huge ship docked and I read a leaflet that said they were hiring mercenaries. Didn't need much more to get me onto to the ship, and so I applied. Didn't realize I'd be signing my death certificate at the same time as my employment slip."

She reached up and put her hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay," she said with a grin.

[orphans]

I can still feel the heat on my skin through my armor as my unit continued to sprint down corridor after corridor. Clashing steel and fighting still sounded through the grounds as my blood pounded and rushed past my ears. The overwhelming smell of smoke and death engulfed us completely as we rounded a bend.

"LOOSE!"

Arrows hailed down from above only to be intercepted by a shimmering barrier of light.

"Keep going, I'll hold them here!"

Lucideaya... she was a hopeful grezick from my own home dome and a master of protection arts. "Don't be stupid Lucy. Shields up and keep moving!"

"We won't make it moving at that speed and you know it! Hurry up and get going damn it!" Those were her last words. True to the crown even till her last moment. True to those who had banished her father for doing what he believed.

All around us, brothers and sisters fought one another simply because of differing ideals. Loyalists and Heretics were the fated labels to be used in the aftermath. All over whether a child princess should succeed the throne or her uncle Grumond, brother to the murdered queen and the undisputed head of the artificer's guild.

"Unit one, fire! Reload. Unit two, fire!" The thunder of rifles was an oddly welcomed sound but in this symphony of hell, it was good to hear the trademark shouting of Seoyruun's first all eluvian weapons team. They, after all, owed their very livelihood to the late queen.

"Status!"

The officer gave a signal for an all out charge after the final volley. Eluvian soldiers obeyed without question and jumped the barricades with a spirited war cry as they rushed an oncoming wave of rebel fighters. The eluvian officer gave a quick salute before rattling off a report, "Grumond is fortified in the throne room. We've been trying to carve a path to him but there's no end to these bastards."

"Then we'll assist. Grumond is trying to use the device he found and we think he figured out how. The circle magi can feel the change in mana flow from the throne room. It's getting stronger."

"Then we'd better stop him, but it'd be quicker if you and a small team slip by while the rest of us keep them busy. Might be less pressure on your infiltration if their bulk is elsewhere."

It was a good plan, but in hindsight, ultimately futile. How many good people like this officer died that day? "Very well, my wife and daughter is all I need with me. Yuin, Siva, I'm counting on you two to lead the rest."

The pair of twin archers, originally mercenaries with my wife, now turned residents, gave their usual rain-like laughs and took up positions. "We'll take care of things. Just be safe with Holly and Sophia."

"Father, will we be enough?" Even though it was only a memory, seeing my daughter's bandaged form always tore at my heart. Strands of walnut brown hair stained with sweat and blood clung to her face as she gave a hesitant smile. "Or are you trying to compete with mother in kills, again?" she asked with her hazel green eyes starting up at me innocently - eyes that she had inherited from her mother.

My wife only chuckled and gave our daughter a small pat on her head. "Don't worry sweetie, I always kill more," was all she offered as she brushed past me quickly towards the fray.

"Let's just move quickly," I remember saying in irritation as I chased after her with my daughter in tow.

With the combined unit forces, we were able to fight back the rebel line enough that my wife, daughter and I slipped down a side corridor. It was supposed to be a dead end passage, but being a Mana Knight close to the late queen meant I had been privy to the knowledge of secret passages. It had been the sole reason of how we rescued Mara and now, it was the defining reason of how my family reached the throne room relatively unopposed.

What assailed us instead were the scars of battle when the civil war broke out. Blood still stained much of the halls leading to the throne room and aside from several guards, there was hardly any activity. Yet, when we arrived at the throne room, it was completely empty save for the slumped form of Grumond on the throne. In front of him, a small pale blue pendant pulsed upon the ground.

"Holly, can you hear anything?" A small shake of my wife's head told me all I needed to know as we approached the throne slowly.

"Wait father," my daughter suddenly said as we stood before the throne, "Mahana... I sense her essence..."

"Why would the Goddess Mahana be here?" I remember my wife asking as she stepped forward cautiously to inspect Grumond while avoiding the pendant.

"It's not actually Mahana, mother, it's the necklace. I can hear her whispers. It's... her memories, I think," was what my daughter offered as an explanation as she continued to glance about us. At the time, I had only thought of the importance in recovering such a holy relic with no consideration to the danger. If it truly held the memories of Mahana it might also hold the key to the salvation promised by her.

How wrong I was to have believed Mahana to be a benevolent Goddess.

The moment my hand touched the pendant, a voice boomed and echoed through the chamber. A female voice, and although it sounded pleasing to the ear, rage saturated her tone. "Child to the Landbound I shepherded in years long past, know that this Oracle's Grace was meant to be lost in the sea of time. Yet, even now in the never ending greed of your kind, you seek to unlock the secrets of my failures."

"Father we're surrounded!" The sound of my daughter's cry and the clash of steel had me turn suddenly to see my wife engaging with dozens of soldiers all emanating a cerulean glow.

"Oswald, you have to destroy the pendant!" Turning, I saw Grumond struggling to stand as his eyes burned with the same pale blue light. "It's controlling our souls, Oswald. Mahana never meant to save us. She means to destroy us all!"

I could hear the plea in Grumond's voice as his body fought itself from striking with his blade. In that brief moment I did the only thing I knew to do. Drawing my blade and channeling all my energy, I struck the pendant. How was I to know it would seal the fates of millions that day instead of just our own?

"You dare strike me with my own gift? The very reason this barren land is able to know life?! Then perish, children of the Landbound!" Blistering heat radiated suddenly from the pendant and the last thing I remember was my daughter screaming our names in an evocation and my wife begging for my daughter to stop and save herself, instead of us.


______________________



Light filtered into my room between the frost on the windows and onto my face. My eyelids clenched tighter even though they were already shut. Today was the last day of the free week with the majority of my unit returning from making peace with whatever family they had left, or whatever it was they chose. I never asked them. Private matters were just that.

A scant few had stuck around the barracks, namely the mercenary Sophia and Inta. The two got along strangely well, or perhaps it was just my imagination. Sophia was far too kind for a Skalu Hudie and Inta too curious for a former Royal Guard. Though, to be fair, I didn't know much about the Royal Guards. They were a new order formed in the wake of rebuilding under Mara's reign. From what I've seen though, her training mirrors mine. As such, I had expected her to be just as well versed on our country's history as I was.

She wasn't.

Prying my lids open, I stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours as the light crept higher on the walls of my room. It's sad to say, but this past week I felt like I became a new man. I was more energetic and more aware of my world. It felt... good, to do something familiar once more. I suppose not drowning in spirits might have something to do with it. Still, the dreams that plague me tempted me to reach for the bottle.


Eventually, I rose, cleaned myself and then dressed for the coming day. As I left my office and entered the barracks proper, I saw that a few had already risen while others still had sleep clinging to their eyes. Pell, the two mercenaries and Inta had already awoken and were preparing their gear while Erieai, Maybel and Jackal were just rising. The sight nearly made me chuckle as I thought back to the olden days and the old mercenary crew I had lead. All of them dead, except my wife.

"We're moving out in twenty minutes," I began as Inta approached me with a letter in her hand. Taking it, I skimmed it quickly and instantly frowned. "Seems like we've been assigned a guide to lead us to the front."

"A guide?" Jackal yawned while he pulled a shirt over his head. "The hell do we need a guide for?"

An equally hearty yawn erupted from the eluvian as she blinked her eyes in my direction. "Looks like the Queen's making us." Pointing at the paper in my hand, she continued without much enthusiasm, "That's her seal."

I turned the letter over and saw that there was indeed Mara's personal seal on the back: a winged figure clutching a sword bathed in fire. I never understood the significance of the noble seals, especially the one that Mara's family used. Somehow, I doubted anyone knew with how fragile our history is. My guess was as good as any.

"In any case, the guide is meeting us at the city gate. Everyone meet outside in twenty minutes."

"Sir, a moment?" Looking to Pell, I nodded my head and stepped outside with the man.

The air outside held the usual chill of this year and nipped lightly at whatever skin we had exposed. "Something you need?"

For a time, Pell said nothing as the two of us made our way closer to the gates to town. "This whole mission, sir. What is it really for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." My reply made the man grimace as he looked towards the barracks.

"A group of seasoned soldiers and experts all consolidated under one unit doesn't seem suspicious, sir?"

I laughed. "Of course it's suspicious, but it isn't my place to second guess our Queen." One by one, members of my unit filtered out and made their way towards us. "If I had to guess, Pell, I'd say it has something to do with the Skalu Hudie."

"I figure that much. But if that's true, do you believe the legends then?"

Looking towards Sophia's form as she walked with the rest of the group, I offered a sigh and grumbled more to myself, "I'm just here to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. It's what fossils like me are supposed to do."

Pell chuckled at my words and offered in what I suppose was his way of consolation, "Well, if it is going to repeat, mind telling us before hand?"

[SirArtemis]

The week passed more quickly than I had expected it to. I guess having a deadline finally in place for something to happen made my perspective change - especially since I was supposedly going to die. Talk about having something to look forward to. Nothing better to make you want to crawl out of bed in the morning than feeling like you're walking to your death sentence.

Needless to say, I lingered around Jackal for most of the week when I wasn't following Sophia as a walking and talking history lesson. Jackal seemed to not take anything seriously, though my intuition told me otherwise. Still, it helped keep me occupied. Lots of liquor, women - mostly yelling at them, laughter, more liquor, spinning knives in the air, more liquor, passing out. I didn't really have any of the liquor, but plenty laughs, especially when he would fumble the knife. Happened once or twice, given the quantity of booze.

With the morning of departure upon us, we all shuffled to get ready. Pell had already stepped outside with Oswald and I helped Sophia pack up her things. "Got everything?" I asked her, worrying about her like a sibling I never had. And let's be fair, none of my siblings would have had wings.

"I think so, yeah," she said as she grabbed her pack and set her sword on her back, perfectly set between her wings.

"Perfect. Let's go catch up with them."

"Okay," she said, as Erieai stepped up beside us also ready and following us out the door.

After everyone had met up at the gates that connected the main area of the city to the military and noble district (where we had been staying), we began to head for the outer gates where the guide waited for us. The architecture still astounded me. Most was gray or burgundy brick, structurally focused on practicality, but there were endless frivolous designs added on to add a custom touch for families. As long as the basic design was followed, it appeared that whatever the residents decided was fair game.

Some etched designs on the brick face of the building walls, others hung or attached metal shapes and ornaments all over the place. Some were even vandalized and didn't care enough to do anything about it, though there were very few such cases. And to be honest, maybe it just appeared to be vandalism, and was actually intentional. I just can't imagine why someone would have a bunch of animals burning alive etched into their home.

The veil overhead was the same as it had been since I had arrived, shimmering with a slight violet tint, making the world appear to perpetually be experiencing dusk - though it was obviously morning. I was excited to leave, for no better reason than to see the sun as I had grown accustomed to it throughout my life. There was something eerie about the veil, and it had been haunting me since we had arrived in the harbor.

The people were definitely the most interesting, and mostly because I couldn't quite figure out what they were made out of. Most appeared human with a good amount of eluvians as well, but there was also a sprinkling of the most absurd variety of races; there were very few, and they appeared almost as hybrids of animals and humans, such as cat-people and wolf-people. I constantly had to wear my gade suit to help me handle the temperature, as it was incredibly cold even despite the temperature regulation. Yet what people wore varied from bundling up in furs to walking around as though it were a typical Corone summer. I'll be honest, the extreme contrast really messed with my head, since it's bizarre to see both standing side by side and appearing comfortable.

The air was the only thing that felt like home, as the chilly bite as I filled my lungs and the foggy wisps that escaped me with every breath reminded me of home. The breeze was mild and whistled as it cut through the cobblestone streets and wound between the endless brick buildings, most were thirty to forty feet high and some up to fifty or sixty. It was truly a bizarre place, and like nothing I had ever seen outside of this land.

"You're taking note of all this, right Judicis?" I mumbled to myself, letting the wind catch my words and carry them off before anyone else could hear.

'Much has changed from what my collection of memories tells, Artemis. I won't be of much help it seems - at least not within the walls. Perhaps once we begin our travels I will have more to offer you.' Judicis' response was full of intrigue and excitement. Of course it was. He was on an adventure. He wouldn't die. I would die. Someone else would eventually find him. That's the thing with sentient items - no real comprehension of time, as with all long-lived things.

Eventually our steps brought us to the main gate of Pretalia, leading us into the rest of the country of Seoyruun and the island of Se'lutia. The only way to really describe the wall that surrounded Pretalia... is intimidating. I hadn't ventured this far during my time here, as it would have served no purpose and I guess it wasn't so interesting to those who were used to it. But it appeared that Sophia shared my thoughts, as her jaw just hung open and her maroon eyes gazed up at the massive structure. The wall itself that the doorway made its home in was roughly double the size of the biggest buildings of the city - aside from the castle of course. A hundred feet of massive blocks of stone, reinforced with steel, guarded the city from any outside intervention - though it may have been to keep people in just as much to keep people out. Right ahead was the gate, roughly thirty feet tall and raised up into the wall roughly a third of the way to allow us to pass through.

Standing just past the doorway was what I could only guess to be a man bundled up in a bunch of fur, and I imagined they'd be rather heavy; didn't seem like they were heavy to him. The figure stood about my height and wore a very strange porcelain mask shaped like a wolf's face. Attached to the mask was a long mane that ran over the top of the head and down the back, hiding the figure's features; it appeared to be made mostly of white furs and feathers, some dyed red.

I couldn't hide a smile, as a strange and unexpected thought popped into my head at the sight of the man: 'I wonder if Jackal things he looks stupid too.'

[orphans]

Our guide was not what I expected. Truth be told, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but certainly not a masked figure covered in clothing that obscured all identifying traits. I couldn't even tell what gender our guide was. Then again, that hardly mattered. All I was concerned with was whether or not the guide would be useful. As we approached, I could feel the eyes of our guide examining each of us, lingering a bit longer on me and Sophia. No one else seemed to notice and I couldn't quite be sure as the guide immediately waved to the team of heavy tundra horses, but said nothing.

"You know, Artemis, our guide looks pretty stupid too. Still looks better than you though." Jackal's ribbing of the mercenary brought the shadow of a grin to my lips as I selected a horse for my own use. Artemis said something in reply to Jackal, but his words were carried away by the trademark gusts near the city gates. The others began to select horses as well while our guide approached me and then presented a piece of paper to me abruptly.

I took the note and read it quickly before tucking it away in a pocket. "I was expecting this journey to be much longer. Care to explain this teleportation gate?" The guide simply stared at me and then shrugged. The only offered explanation was the guide pointing to his or her throat and then a shake of the head. "You're mute then?" The guide made no motion to answer for a long while before giving a firm nod. "Ezraehie!" Looking over my shoulder as I shouted, I caught sight of the eluvian woman securing a spare rifle on her horse.

She turned her head to me with a perplexed look in her eyes as she started making her way towards me. "What is it? And call me Erieai." Her reply was terse as she looked to the guide and then me again.

"We're going to make our way to a teleportation network, apparently. Mind giving me a quick explanation?"

"Why can't the guide? He should know what it is."

I looked over the guide and figured it was a safe assumption that it was a man beneath the coverings. "The guide's mute and informed me by paper."

Annoyance crossed the eluvian's features as she folded her arms across her chest. "And command didn't explain to you before what the teleportation network is?"

Part of me wanted to reach out and knock some sense into the eluvian. Then again, I couldn't help but grin at her crass behavior. It was strangely comforting to know this crew would have a similar feel to my old one. "Catching up with twenty years of change in a week is difficult. An explanation, if you would please."

To my surprise, a smirk curved onto her features as she gave a shrug. "I guess it can't be helped since you're only human, after all." The look I gave must have told her I wanted to waste no more time as she began quickly after, "The teleportation network is relatively new - within the last two years actually. We have one of the main gates about a day's travel from here and from there, it connects to other beacons."

"I'm guessing the beacons take us to the front or outer domes, correct?"

Erieai's brow furrowed a little as she gave a disgusted reply, "All of them take us to the front actually. Caravans still make the journeys to outer domes. They weren't considered high enough priority."

"I see..." It made sense, tactically. The outer domes consist mostly of non-human grezick communities that supplemented frivolous supplies to the front and to Pretalia. Added bonuses to morale, but ultimately, not considered important enough.

"That all you need from me? I need to pack a few things still," Erieai rattled off quickly as she jerked a thumb behind her.

"That is all, thank you Erieai."

The woman rolled her eyes at my thanks and began to walk off. "Yeah yeah, just don't get us killed."

When I turned back, I saw that the guide had left my side to help Sophia. Despite having only a single pack, the girl was oblivious in how to strap her things to the horse, much less on how to use a stirrup to mount a horse. I suppressed a laugh as the girl fell on her first attempt and landed on the slushy road. Jackal didn't. In spite of that, I was taken aback by his decision to lend a hand and with his help, Sophia succeeded the second time.

[SirArtemis]

It was a very quiet walk to our destination. I had tried to initiate some conversation as we walked but quickly found that the absurd speed of the wind literally stole your words, sending them somewhere far away from their intended listener. I had donned my mask and gloves, covering myself head to toe, knowing that at least I would be comfortable. Still, I could tell it was cold. With every breath that I pushed through my mask, I could only catch quick glimpses before the wind took that away as well.

The landscape was as desolate as I had ever seen; everything was flat and open with an occasional frozen and long dead tree peppering the landscape. I'd have asked how the trees could ever have survived at all, but I assumed it had to do with the history of the island long ago. After all, what was left of the life that once called this place home was now, in effect, mummified in cold and ice. It was unbelievable how strong the wind was.

As we walked, Oswald, Inta, and Maybel kept up some sort of magical barrier - the one that I had been told about earlier by Jackal. He could have said whatever he wanted about my appearance then, but I wouldn't have heard his snide comments anyway. It wasn't just the wind that protected me, but my thoughts as well. They drifted. I drifted.

Silence is a dangerous thing for many reasons, but for one who has seen, done, or felt things he wished he hadn't, silence sounded as a call for these memories. The perpetual whistling of endless gusts of wind coupled with the hours of walking allowed my past to spread through my mind like weeds and vines, tugging on my very consciousness. Images of dead men laying upon the floor from Victor Callahan's blind fury flashed against the barren landscape. The wind morphed into the sounds of all those who fell fighting at my side in Vardta protecting their home. The warmth of Tanya's touch pulling me inside of her the night before she died trying to save me.

It felt like a flurry. The storm within my mind was infinitely harder to cope with than any the natural world could throw at me, and yet it refused to end. The fight with my father those years ago, and the time wasted thereafter holding an unfounded grudge. The trickle of warm blood as my blade struck through the first man I had ever killed. The suffering of a cursed fae whose very being had made my gade suit even possible. All of it. My entire life. It all flashed before my eyes, but not in the brief moment that some claim occurs the moment before you die. It was long and drawn out through an entire day, only filtered by the occasional intrusions of Judicis into my thoughts to help soothe my aching heart.

How many more would die by my hand? Who would I kill while visiting this island - a place I didn't even know existed - yet fled to only to find myself walking toward a battlefield? It's a strange feeling when one questions their own life, unsure whether the world around them would be better off with them alive or dead. Am I making a difference in the world at all? Are any of my choices making a change, and if so, are they for the better or worse? My blades are sharp, my bow well aimed, and my eyes as keen as any edge in the realm - but is that enough? However much I try to live by virtue, questioning all my actions not just for what they are, but the intentions beneath, am I simply a naive child wandering a world that has and will continue to exist long after I am gone? I am but a speck of dust in the timeline of Althanas, a fleeting existence that is so miniscule that in the grand scheme of all that is, I am nothing.

We didn't stop at any point during the trip, though I had expected we would - I hoped we would, if only to stop my mind for a moment, just long enough to hold a conversation. I assumed it was probably due to the inability to drop the barrier and nowhere to really make camp given the open flatlands.

With a steady pace we made it to what appeared as a metal dome - similar to the grezick domes, but much smaller. Oddly enough this gate had its own protective barrier, and so I waited. When we arrived, an eluvian greeted us, though I had a hard time discerning whether it was a male or female. The voice could have fallen somewhere in between and the outfit covered any discerning features anyway.

"Sir Oswald?" the eluvian asked.

"Yes," he answered, with not a hint of surprise.

"We've been expecting you. However, we also have news from the front. A skirmish has broken out on the other side of the beacon where you are headed. I leave it up to you to decide the next course of action." When the eluvian finished, Oswald gave a nod as Pell approached, as though to discuss what the group would do.

Meanwhile, I took off my mask and gloves and only a single thought lingered in my mind:

I do not want to kill any more, but will I ever be allowed to live if I do not?

[orphans]

"Should I ready the unit?" There was no hesitance in Pell's question, but I could tell from his glance that there was no desire to do as he asked. The long journey with only the sound of the howling wind is a dangerous thing, especially for those with too much to carry upon their minds - for all of us. Even Sophia looked deeper in thought than usual as she toted her satchel of belongings into a nearby shelter.

"Let everyone sleep. I'm sure our forces on the other side can hold for another day." A quick roll of my shoulders told me just how sore and stiff they were from the cold, despite the barrier. "Besides, we'd be of no use without rest."

Pell gave a salute and walked off towards the others to relay the orders, I assumed. Whether or not he did didn't matter as they were all bright enough to figure it out eventually.

"Sir Oswald, may I ask something?" Turning, I looked over to the eluvian that had greeted me and nodded my head once. "Is it true what they say?" I perked an eyebrow at the eluvian to signify that I had no idea what the reference was towards. "The Skalu Hudie, sir. Was that girl the one?"

Looking to the emblem on his shoulder, I managed a half hearted smile. "Captain, sometimes things aren't as they always seem. As for the girl, I don't know. I'm charged with protecting her and bringing her to the front. What she's to do there is beyond me."

"I see," was what the captain managed as he quickly adjusted his cap. "I'll have the gate warmed up on standby while your soldiers rest." Then with a quick salute the eluvian was off again, barking commands. All the while I could feel the unmistakable crawl up one's spine while being watched. It only took a moment to see that it was the guide watching me from behind a cooking fire. He still had the mask on and as I approached, I wondered if he would take it off to eat. It was a stupid thought; of course he would.

Twenty minutes later, my assumption was proven wrong as the guide took his portion of stew into one of the shelters while I was joined by Sophia, Erieai, and Jackal. The four of us sat in silence, save for Jackal's loud slurping of soup. Erieai shot occasional glances of irritation towards the man while Sophia retained a small hesitant smile.

As I looked to all three of them, I imagined which of them I would have to bury. My mission was to keep Sophia alive, but against what odds? I had been told I was assigned the best the kingdom had to offer, and yet, why such a small group? Mara had been rather cryptic in her letter, and then for her to have assigned a guide at the last moment to the group? It didn't make sense.

"Hey, Oswald, you even there?" The sound of someone calling my name jerked me away from my train of thought. Casting my eyes over to Jackal, I gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Wondering if you had any stories for us."

Erieai rolled her eyes at the man and quickly corrected, "Advice is what he means."

"Pfft, screw that. I want stories! It's what we're supposed to do around campfires, right Sophia?"

The young girl looked surprised and fumbled for a moment with what to say. In the end, she gave an awkwardly lopsided smile. "Stories are nice."

"See? Even Sophia agrees!" Jackal said with a victorious pump of his arm while Erieai rolled her eyes again and mumbled something.

I managed a chuckle as I considered Sophia's words. They didn't exactly answer the question, yet, they didn't avoid it either - at least not completely. Another chuckle rose from me as I nodded slowly. "Stories from an old man like me, huh? What exactly do you want to hear about then?"

When posed with the actual possibility of a story from me, Jackal brought a hand to rub the back of his neck while a frown spread across his features. "Well, when you put it like that..." Looking to Erieai, the woman just shrugged.

"Well, how about your first unit? There aren't many public records about who you are, you know?"

"As there shouldn't be about me." It was a coarse reply and one I didn't mean. My face must have told differently as Erieai mumbled something resembling an apology. "It's better that not much is known about me."

"Why is that?" All eyes looked to Sophia as she asked the simple question. Shrinking back as if she had done something wrong, she added quickly, "If, you don't mind me asking, that is."

A few uncomfortable glances exchanged between Erieai and Jackal while Sophia kept her gaze on mine, despite having shrunk back against the blankets around her shoulders. A tired sigh wilted out of my lungs as I relented. A story was, after all, a story. Might even do me well to tell one. "I'll tell a story about my younger days then. After, I'm ordering everyone to rest."

[orphans]

Everyone here has probably heard of the stories about the first band of mercenaries ever to grace Seoyruun, correct? Of course you all have. Half the time when I'm just walking around the city I hear songs still being sung about their exploits. I'm just glad that no one recognizes me very often or remembers that I was their commander. Everyone knows me as the one who ended the second civil war.

Well, what if I was to tell you all that I never really did lead them? That I was more of a glorified translator to keep them in line? And that our first assignment was what set the second civil war in motion? I bet none of you would have guessed that. That's fine. It's why I'm telling you all now.

They came nearly forty years ago. Each of them bore identical tattoos to signify themselves as the Empire's Guard, Corone's finest few in a new foreign land. That was their official name. They called themselves the Crimson Sands and were only supposed to serve as front line fodder. We underestimated their abilities and found ourselves quickly indebted to them.

For the first time in years after our first civil war, we were able to drive back the beastmen of Roncoro away from the walls of Pretalia until they were back west across the twin Ankor Rivers. However, I won't lie to any of you. The fighting wasn't glorious nor was it an overwhelming victory, as they tell in the songs. Both sides suffered heavy losses and despite that fact, we continued to push without well established supply lines. I understood why.

The general of the Seoyruun main army, at the time, was nothing more than a novice forced to fill the shoes of his murdered father while the rest of the noble families squabbled with indecision amongst themselves in the capital. He was brilliant, but young, brash and inexperienced. Sure enough, that inexperience nearly got us all killed as he forced the enemy to fortify themselves around Arfezeria, the Ancient City.

I still remember the day too. Fresh snow had just dusted the ground and we were still recovering from a recent night attack. Dawn had barely broken when the camp's alarms sounded again and by the looks of it, the beastmen were throwing everything they had at us. They were becoming desperate, but so were we. Our numbers were barely half of what we started with and those that we had left wore the faces of starvation. When we finally drove them off, it was quite obvious that we would have to turn back or be wiped out in the next attack. Our general had lost a leg and was barely breathing when he finally issued the order to fallback.

The mercenary captain and her group, however, had other ideas. They refused to retreat and instead offered themselves to hold the position while everyone else retreated. It was a fool's errand to buy just a bit more time, yet despite that, I was drawn to her confidence and our general was in no condition to argue. In the end, I found myself staying by their side as I watched the army march away.

We were only eleven strong with no hope of holding for long. Imagine my surprise when she gave the order to skin our enemies and wear their hides and armor over our clothing. Needless to say, it was grotesque and although I was against such desecration of our enemies, my curiosity of her plan kept me silent. The enemy wouldn't be fooled so easily by such disguises. Regardless, we marched towards where they were fortified.

I eventually noticed as we walked on that my disguise seemed to have fused around me. Naturally, I was alarmed and began to pick at where I had sown it closed. As I did, a hand quickly stopped me and I found myself staring into the face of a grinning wulven. I recognized the voice as the mercenary captain as she simply just asked, "Surprised?" A moment later someone from their group wearing a skegull - a lizard skin - decided to inform me that it was his specialty to weave disguises. As long as I moved about in a natural manner, my "borrowed" skin will follow along. "Just try to ignore the memories that come along with it."

By nightfall, we made it to the outskirts of Arfezeria and we could easily see the fires and shelters of our enemies.


------


"How come they didn't camp in the city?" Everyone's attention snapped to Sophia as her form wilted under the blanket. "Never mind..."

The question made me laugh though as I grinned. "That was the same question the mercenary captain asked me as we neared. Like them, you're from offshore and wouldn't know about the legends we hold here."


------


"It's haunted," was all I could offer and it earned quite a few laughs from the mercenaries.

As we passed through the enemy's gates, however, I was surprised that the guards didn't even suspect a thing. Other groups were also arriving so they must have figured we were another scouting crew or stragglers that managed to group up. Whatever the case, the mercenaries didn't waste any time and all of them dispersed quickly once we were inside, leaving me alone with the captain. It was painfully obvious that I wasn't privy to their plans and when I finally decided to ask when we were secluded enough, her borrowed wolf skin just smiled at me and said, "Wait for it."

The two of us must have wandered the camp for another hour or so, but always roving around near the largest structure in the heart of their encampment. The several guards at the entrance marked it as something important and I figured we were going to take out whoever they were guarding.

I was only partially right.

Several explosions suddenly rocked the ground as screams and the sound of fighting filled the air. Even though I was inexperienced then, I could tell from the noise that it sounded more than the few of us fighting. Fire began to spread quickly as the beastmen used mostly wood and hides in their constructions. Luckily for us, it gave me and the captain an easy path into the main building.

Inside were stores of food, water, supplies and what I figured to be medicine - everything an army needed to stay alive. Before I could ask what the point was, she tossed me a pouch with several vials as she began to spread powder of some kind into several sacks. "Poison their water and supplies. It'll give us more than enough time. An army of this size will have to turn around."

As we finished, several beastmen slipped in and closed the door quickly. The mercenary members, I figured, as they quickly waved a signal to their captain. "That's that. Now we escape."

The very thought confused me. Escape? How? Where to? We were surrounded by enemies and anyone leaving the camp would be marked with suspicion. Regardless, I followed them and soon realized they intended to escape into Arfezeria. Both options were equally risky to me and as we slipped out in the confusion towards the ancient city, I noticed two were missing. The captain didn't even comment on it and I figured they must have already tested that theory. I never did bother to ask.


------


"Wait," Jackal quickly said as he leaned forward, "You mean to tell me you guys were the ones to awaken Arfezeria?"

I sighed with a shrug. 'Truthfully, I have no idea. We must have had a hand in it. The city was empty when we entered. Rodents and wildlife didn't even attempt to walk its ground and what vegetation there was, was sparse and dead. It wasn't until we entered one of temples did the ghosts appear. "

"Real ghosts?" It was hard to tell if Sophia really meant that question. The innocence in her voice suggested she knew nothing, and yet, I found that hard to believe. She was a Skalu Hudie, supposedly.

"The ancestral spirits really - I read about them in a few reports from excavation teams there. Mostly harmless if you leave them alone," Erieai said before I could answer. Turning to me though, she frowned. "It doesn't make sense, how did your group awaken anything? Even the artificer's guild has trouble making the simplest thing work there."

"Like I said, I don't know. As soon as we entered one of the temples, we were attacked by the ghosts and we fought them off for about ten minutes. Then, they just stopped and when I looked, one of them was bowing to us. When it was safe, I asked if anyone knew what happened. Instead, the captain was hoping I could tell them."

Disappointment was written all over Jackal's face as he leaned back with a few pops. "So let me get this straight. A small group of mercenaries and you managed to sneak into a Roncoro army, cause a lot of havoc, then escape into Arfezeria and then have the ancestral spirits apologize for you guys stepping into their homes uninvited?"

"Yes."

At the bluntness of my reply, Jackal began laughing. Trying to pick himself up, he slipped and fell over, still laughing. "I never figured you to have jokes, Oswald! Mahana strike me down, but, damn. You really had me there for a second." Finally getting up, he brushed himself off and began walking towards one of the shelters. "Hells, I don't even know what to make of you anymore!"

Erieai, on the other hand, seemed to have a hard time figuring out what she wanted to say. "Sir, why tell us this?"

With a small smile, I looked to Erieai and chuckled. "I thought I'd just share some history, that's all."

"I see." It was easy to see that Erieai was still troubled by what I said. Even so, she got up and respectfully bid me and Sophia a good rest. Politeness really didn't suit the eluvian woman. It was rather unnerving to experience.

"Oswald?" My eyes turned to Sophia before I gave her a nod to continue. "How did you end up escaping the city?"

"We didn't. The captain's plan worked and the enemy had to withdraw. Like I said, it was nothing glorious like in the songs. We just walked back with whatever supplies we could find so that we didn't die from hunger."

The girl opened her lips to ask another question, but then stopped. Part of me wished she'd just speak her mind. Instead, she got up and bid me a good rest as well. Left alone at the fire, I watched the flame fade to embers before I too got up.

[SirArtemis]

When Pell had come over to tell us that we were to rest for the night, I felt a sigh slip from my lungs as I rubbed the bridge of my nose from exhaustion. The strain from the brightness of the day had exhausted my vision and so I sauntered off looking for a place to sit. The others would need to eat, but my ring sustained me.

I found a soft patch of ground and just laid down, giving my body a bit of reprieve while my mind continued to race. Judicis seemed to recognize my desire to sort through my thoughts alone and kept silent. Yet it wasn't long before the familiar sound of voices, carried by a lingering breeze, took me out of my mind. It was Jackal at first, soon followed by Erieai and Oswald, and even Sophia. I didn't say anything, but decided to listen in. The story that ensued was hard to understand, as I wasn't from this land. Mentions of a haunted city and other legends of old were difficult to piece together, just leaving me feeling more detached from this strange world I was lingering in.

I felt as though I had jumped through time and space into a place that shouldn't have existed - a place that didn't exist. It felt surreal in its own way, and the unfamiliarity made me wonder if I were trapped in a magical dream like the ones I'd read about as a child in storybooks. I unsheathed Virtue and rested it on my stomach along with my hands, facing the small ventilation hole at the top of the dome that exposed the veiled sky. Slowly, I ran my thumb along the blade's engraved name.

Oswald mentioned battling ghosts, and given the context, it seemed they were literal ghosts. Yet day in and day out, I was battling my own ghosts; unlike Oswald, I didn't quite know how to fight them off. Certainly it wasn't with a blade of some kind, though that'd have been preferred.

How does one ever truly accept their past? At what point can we look back on that which was and let it go, rather than carrying it with us with every passing step like a weight chained to our soul? Had I been raised surrounded by an endless war like those of Seoyruun, perhaps death wouldn't sting me as harshly as it did now. Did my sheltered childhood, isolated from the typical activities of life, only end up hurting me more in the end?

I don't know. There really isn't a way to know for certain. What did matter to me was the reality of the moment, and that I had to find a way to not dwell on the past. After all, what good would it do to live in the past when there was the present all around me? I needed to change. And though I felt like an adult, I was gently reminded by the reality of the day that I was but a boy with a beard.

The fire finally died and the last sounds of rustling as whoever had remained, likely Oswald, turned in for the night. I closed my eyes and let my dreams take hold; at least for a short while, I could find reprieve. A shame that my ring, though meant to help, would leave me with only two hours of rest rather than eight; magic can be a funny thing at times.

_____________________________________________


When I woke, I was surprised to hear rustling by the fire, as I had expected everyone else to be asleep still. However, the embers were renewed with life and roaring again as Maybel sat nearby, stoking the coals as various vials hung over the flames. Beside the mage was a big bag full of empty shell casings and a knife stuck in the ground that he pulled out as he saw me coming.

"You're up early," he said as I strode over toward the fire pit.

"I feel I should say the same to you. My ring only lets me sleep two hours - what's your excuse?"

He shrugged at the question. "I don't really sleep much."

"Any particular reason?"

"Uh... just never have. I guess thinking too much. Just thinking"

I left it at that, knowing full well what he was talking about and that I wouldn't want to be prodded either. "So what are you doing exactly?"

"Making sure we have enough specialized ammunition for what's to come - at least for our group. I'd make more if I had time but I do what I can."

"Any way I can help?"

"Sure," he said, handing me a box full of the small casings. "Take off the caps of the shells and dump the powder into here," he said, giving a small demonstration with his knife. "Be careful with the shells obviously as they're going to be reused." He gestured to hand me a spare knife but I just smiled, showing him Virtue and he shrugged with a grin.

We sat quietly by the flames as I uncapped and emptied the shells one by one. The warm fire didn't bother me much as I still had my ever-useful gade undersuit. I glanced up once in a while to watch Maybel work with his alchemical ingredients. The dreariness of the dome after just a few hours was already beginning to weigh on me, but the bright bubbly colors of Maybel's munitions mixes made managing much easier. The random patches of grass and the slow brightening of the day almost made everything seem normal for a moment. Night slowly moved toward day and Maybel making breakfast over the coals made me feel almost at ease.

And as though the Thaynes didn't want me to enjoy even a moment, an extremely loud, shrill, obnoxious, unpleasant, and unbearable shriek filled the air. It was obviously not a sound of anything pleasant coming, and given Maybel's abrupt change in demeanor and the expression he wore, I could only deduce that this was an alarm.

[SirArtemis]

Everything beneath the dome suddenly accelerated with urgency I had only once seen before in my life, and it only meant one thing: battle was about to commence. Maybel’s expression said the same, and with a shout and a pointed finger, I knew my role. “Head through the beacon! I’ll catch up with you on the other side!” He ran off, and so did I – though in separate directions. Just as I sped off, I noticed Oswald out of the corner of my eye, and given the flash of anger on his face, I could only imagine how horrible the news could be.

The shouts all around me - orders, worries, battle cries even – showed quite plainly that everyone here had some sense of what to expect, even if they weren’t battle-hardened warriors. As I jogged on toward the beacon, my heart began to race as the anxieties of bloodshed and death swarmed over me, and the faces of my past cluttered my thoughts. For a moment, I lost myself, forgetting where I was or what I was even meant to do as my legs carried me onward while my thoughts held me back.

However, as my steps brought me unwittingly past two of the four pillars that marked the designated area of the beacon, I felt as though a spear had been struck through to my very core, strung with a rope and tugged upon as it pulled me forth to a place Thaynes only know how far from where I had stood a moment before. It was not the same sort of teleportation magic that I had been accustomed to, but I knew it to serve the same function.

When I stepped out and gathered myself, I could hear the cries of hundreds, thousands even, carried along the cold winds that swam past my ears like a symphony of agony and suffering. Men, women, beasts, and all sorts of other creatures and sounds unknown to me reminded me of the reality of my circumstances. What began as an exhausted escape onto a ship to flee from the harsh realities of war and wasted life brought me to the largest scale battle I had ever experienced, and may ever experience.

I wasn’t left to my thoughts long as before I knew it, Maybel pulled at my arm. “Come on, follow me! We have to get to the front! The others will already be there!”

I wasn’t given a choice really, and so I followed, letting my body carry me on instinct alone. We jogged quickly among a crowd, like a swarm of sheep being herded by the dogs of war.

“You four, break off and cover the left flank!” an officer yelled at Maybel and myself, as well as a pair running just ahead of us. With that, Maybel turned off the road behind the pair and into some alleys of the many buildings that surrounded us that must have been homes, similar to those in Pretalia. Steel and concrete formed these domiciles, and yet even still, many gave off a glow as fires burned in most as the contents were scorched to ash.

We ran along the muddy land, though sparse and small patches of grass, soon to be bathed red in blood, gave contrast to the dark and dismal surroundings. I quickly willed the magic within my boots to grow some studs upon the sole to help me with traction on the soft ground. As we turned around a bend, a trio of reptilian looking humanoids were running in our direction, flanked by a pair of feline companions with bows running along the rooftops.

Before we could even react, the felines let their arrows fly and struck the pair ahead of us. Instinctively, Maybel’s hand went to his holster and he drew his weapon, firing a shot quickly at the feline on the roof to our right and letting his other hand launch a fireball forth at the one across. Within a moment, both erupted in flames as I strained my legs to push me forward toward the trio of lizardmen ahead.

As I passed Maybel, I felt a rush of energy surge through my legs, urging me onward and giving me an ease of movement I hadn’t felt before. I could only assume some magic had been cast upon me, and as I came upon the three beasts I unsheathed my twin blades and leapt up to my left. As my left foot landed upon the surface of one of the many burning homes, the magic of my boots provided me with the traction I needed to push off and leap over the monsters.

As I turned in my flip, I saw the tips of their polearms raise up toward me in defense. I extended my arm out, flattening the edge of my blade and allowing the enchanted edge to cut the leading warrior just under the chin, slicing his head cleanly off with the ease of a warm knife through fresh butter. The pair who stood beside him and a step back managed to both clip me as I descended, leaving me with a slight cut on the right of my torso and my left shoulder.

Landing in a crouch, I turned quickly and so did the pair I had leapt over. My eyes looked past to Maybel and the two who had been struck. The one who had been hit in the chest lay still upon the ground, while the other broke off the shaft of the arrow that had found its way into his thigh. In that moment, Maybel sent forth a spear of ice out of his hand, bursting out of the chest of the monster to my right and dimming the light in his eyes. The other let his right hand fall off his spear and began casting a spell.

As he did, the magic still lingering in my legs helped me push forward fast enough to use the flat end of my blade to push his right arm out wide and drive Virtue deep into the beast’s chest. I felt the vampiric magic of the blade pull at the beast’s life-force as I held on, quickly repairing the cuts that had been left upon me and feeling its last breath as the body fell limp. I held the weapon in place as the weight of the body falling caused the blade to cut up and out through the rest of the creature’s body, slicing him apart. Blood spilled everywhere as the mud and grass beneath my feet was bathed in crimson, and as the corpse fell away, an interesting look spread across Maybel’s face.

I imagine he didn’t know I could do that.

[orphans]

"Oswald, from behind!"

It was good to know that my reactions hadn't dulled with disuse, but age certainly told me that I was being pushed to the limit. Whirling around, I reached out and snatched the ioaii blinking towards me. Surprise practically oozed from his eyes as I sent a shock of mana down my arm, causing his entire body to spasm. Another pulse of mana released him from my hand and away the mouse-like creature went before detonating in a fiery mess. "Tell me that was the last of them."

Pell laughed as he tugged an arrow from his left shoulder. "That seems so for now, the other ioaii pulled back." Grunting as he helped another nearby soldier up, he added, "Along with that wulven."

A quick glance around showed me just how much damage both sides took. Twelve soldiers at least were wounded badly while seven others lay motionless. One was in several pieces. Thankfully, from just body count alone, I could see that we came through with the upper hand.

"For an ambush, that went better than expected." Dusting himself off, Jackal approached me and jerked a thumb towards the wounded being treated by the magic support we had with us. "They're going to slow us, but we can't exactly run into another one of these without their help."

I shook my head. "We'll be fine. Inta!"

"Here, sir." The sight of the woman's cerulean hair matted with crimson had me momentarily worried, until I realized most of it wasn't her own.

"Take the wounded back with Jackal. The rest of us will push on towards our objective." The woman opened her mouth as if to argue, but then stopped and saluted quickly with a grimace. Reaching and rescuing the other Mana Knight on the field was paramount in reinforcing the beacon, or so we were told. "Yes sir."

As she moved off to assist the wounded, Jackal spoke up quickly, "With all due respect, Oswald, I'm a much better fighter than babysitter."

"And that is precisely why Inta and you are taking the wounded. The path back should be mostly clear, but just in case it isn't, you'll be there to make sure it is."

There was a perplexed smirk on the Jackal's face as he gave one of his usual, careless shrugs. "Man, you sure know how to sweet talk a guy into following orders. Fine, fine, I'll play shepherd boy."

A hand on my shoulder had me twist and look at Pell, who then pointed towards Sophia. "Might need to go talk to her, sir." My eyes turned to the young girl and something inside me nearly broke. There, beside the bodies of two ioaii, stood Sophia still with her sword held at the ready. The quick and steady rise of her shoulders told me that adrenaline was still coursing through her veins. Giving Pell a nod, he returned with what I supposed was an encouraging grimace before moving to rally those still able bodied.

As I neared Sophia, I saw blood trickling down her sword and dripping onto the sodden ground. Closer still, I could hear her ragged breathing. Her wings, while never fully colored, now looked to be bathed in crimson. "Sophia? Are you hurt?"

My voice made her jerk and turn to face me with her sword. Seeing who it was made her lower her blade, and with it, her eyes followed to rest where a dagger had been driven into her right side through her chainmail. "I think so..." Not only that, but a constant flow of red from her left arm indicated a gash of some sort. "It doesn't feel too bad though."

I wasn't sure if it was blind optimism or if she really couldn't feel it - either way, I chuckled. "Hold still, this might sting a little."

As I came closer, the girl held out her hand to stop me as she shook her head. "I - I'll do it." Worry etched itself upon my face, but I knew better than to stop someone with her sort of determination. Her very pride was at stake and destroying that would do me no favors. With one hand, she handed me her sword to hold. When I did she grabbed the handle of the dagger with both her hands.

The first experimental tug had the small girl gritting her teeth before taking in a few deep and quick breaths. "Do it quickly, it won't be as bad." A look of acknowledgement in her eyes met mine as she steeled her nerves. Bracing herself, she pulled fast and gave a scream of pain as the dagger left her body and fell into the mud at our feet. Without a word I offered her sword. She took it after wiping a bit of blood away from her lips. "Come on, let's get you patched up so you can join those heading back."

To my surprise, she shook her head. "I can't - I need to push on." Something about the way she said those words had me staring at her. They were familiar words - words that my own daughter had said to me her on final day. Simple words, and yet they sent a shudder through my very being. Something was very wrong with this attack.